Cutting slide fasteners to length



1953 R. FEITL 2,846,006

CUTTING SLIDE FASTENERS TO LENGTH Filed April 21, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1FIG. I

-L i-- -i T 4.. INVENTOR RUDQLF, FEITL ATTORNEY Aug. 5, 1958 R. FEITL2,846,006

cu'muc sum: FASTENERS TO LENGTH Filed April 21, 1955 2 2 Sheets-Sheet 2FIG-2 1N VENTOR RUDOLF. FEITL ATTORNEY United States Patent CUTTINGSLIDE FASTENERS To LENGTH Rudolf Feitl, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor toWaldes Kohinoor, Inc., Long Island City, N. 1., a corporation of NewYork Application April 21, 1955, Serial No. 502,987

4 Claims. (Cl. 164-39) This invention relates to improvements in slidefastener manufacture and more particularly to an improved control meansfor apparatus employed to produce from continuous fastener chain asuccession of measured lengths of slide fastener or zipper chain eachcharacterized by an element-free extension at one end and anelement-free needle gap adjacent the other end thereof, and whichfunctions to insure substantial uniformity in the lengths of thefastener chains produced by such apparatus.

In my priorapplication Serial No. 449,295 new Patent No. 2,798,549,issued July 9, 1957, i have disclosed and claimed control mechanism forsuch apparatus operating on the principle of a so-called stretching pin,disposed just forwardly of the element-removing punch set, lowering onto the chain and thereby tensioning and/ or shifting it against a morerearward point of chain anchorage as established by a so-called locatingpin. Such a locating pin is disposed a small fixed distance rearwardly(upstream) of the punch set calculated to insure vertical registry ofthe fastener elements to be removed with the element-removing punches,and its tip or working edge is adapted to lower into the space betweentwo adjacent fastener elements disposed in substantial vertical registrytherewith and to abut the side face of the following one of saidelements as the chain is shifted forwardly by the stretching pin. Whilesatisfactorily performing its intended function of insuring that theelement-removing punches completely rather than partially remove thoseelements intended to be removed, thereby to avoid the condition ofpartial elements remaining on the fastener tapes, control mechanismaccording to my application has been found to be lacking in otherimportant respects. For example, the prior control means fails ininsuring that the lengths of fastener chain being severed from thecontinuous chain have exactly (within permissible tolerances) uniformlength, such being a feature which is of course desirable for uniformityin the product, but more important a very necessary feature in the caseof fastener elements having a small element-free gap near its top endfor needle passage.

In explanation, such an element-free gap must be kept small and inaddition, it must be very accurately spaced from the top end of thefastener if it is to serve its intended purpose of preventing needlebreakage, such following from the fact that if improperly located, thegap will not be in position to pass the needle harmlessly. Actually, thepermissible tolerances in placement of the needle gap are so small as topreclude variation in the length of the fastener chains or zippers beingproduced by as much as the pitch distance of the fastener elements ofthe particular fastener chain. Since the control means of my priorapplication can result in variation in the length of the fastener chainsor zippers being produced by an amount approximating this distance, itsuse without more is open to serious objection.

Broadly stated, a main object of the present invention is .the provisionof a control means for apparatus em- 2,846,006 Patented Aug. 5, 1958ployed in the production from continuous fastener chain of measuredlengths of fastener or zipper chain, each characterized by anelement-free extension at one end and an accurately positionedelement-free needle gap near its other end, which is so constructed andarranged as to insure uniformity in the length of the fastener chainsbeing produced within permissible tolerances.

A more particular object of the inventionis the provision of controlmeans as aforesaid capable of reducing the maximum possible variation inthe length of fastener chains being produced to approximately 50% of thevariation which can occur when using the control means as disclosed inmy prior application aforesaid.

A further object of the invention is the provision of control means ofthe stated character employing two chain holding or locating pins whichare so constructed and spaced from one another that the tip or workingedge of at least one of said pins will always on first contact with thechain enter the space between the two adjacent fastener elements insubstantially vertical registry therewith, thereby to substantiallyreduce the amount of shifting movement or stretch which is possible tobe imparted to the chain by a stretching pin operating similarly to thestretching pin of my prior application aforesaid, as compared to theshifting movement or stretch that can be imparted to said chain by thestretching pin operating against a point of chain anchorage asestablished by only one said locating pin according to my priorapplication.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of controlmeans for insuring against variation in the length of individualfastener chains being produced from a continuous. fastener chain which,while employing chain locating and chain stretching means generally asdisclosed in my prior application aforesaid, differs in that the chainlocating means as herein proposed takes the form of two pins which areeffectively spaced from one another in the direction of chain length adistance corresponding to the normal spacingbetween any twofastenerelements of the same row thereof making up said chain.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a control meansemploying two chain holding or locating pins as aforesaid, Whosearrangement is such that they may operate on the same stringer, or oneon one stringer and the other on the other-stringer.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of chain holdingor locating pins for control means according to the present invention,characterized by said pins having two sets of locating tips or edges, ofwhich one set operates on the fastener elements of one stringer and theother set operates on the fastener elements of the companion stringer,and wherein both sets of tips or edges are combined into a single chainholding or locating assembly.

The above and other objects and features of advantage of control meansfor fastener-chain producing apparatus according to the presentinvention will appear from the following detailed description, takenwit-h the accompanying drawing, wherein- Fig. l is a diagrammatic sideelevational view of the improved control means as herein provided whichillustrates same in working relation to the punch set of thefastener-chain producing apparatus and a continuous fastener chain beingacted upon by said apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a broken-away perspective viewillustrating one form of chainholding or locating means employed in the control means of theinvention;

Fig. 3 is a broken away schematic side elevation illustrating a typicallowering action of the locating means as shown in Fig. 2 on the fastenerelements then in substantial vertical registry therewith; and

Fig. 4 is a view looking down on the fastenerelements shown in Fig. 3,the chain locating means being omitted but the lines of engagement ofthe working edges thereof with the elements being assumed andillustrated.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral designates a length ofcontinuous chain comprising laterally spaced, longitudinally extendingtapes carrying uniformly spaced inter-engaged fastener elements 11, 12,along adjacent edges. Said chain is drawn from a source of supply suchas a roll thereof (not shown) preferably by spaced sets of draw-off andfeed rolls, of which the forward set of rolls designated 13a, 13b isshown, the action thereof being intermittently to advance the drawn-offlengths of chain from left to right across a supporting die block 14operatively related to a punch set designated 15. Although onlyschematically shown, it will be understood that the punch set ispreferably of the type disclosed in my copending application Serial No.439,112 filed June 24, 1954, now Patent No. 2,817,403, issued Dec. 24,1957, in that it combines an element-removing punch 15a having lengthcorresponding to that of the element-free portion desired to be providedat the bottom end of the finished measured lengths of fastener chainbeing produced, and spaced rearwardly therefrom by a fixed distancecorresponding to that occupied by two or three interengaged fastenerelements 11, 12, a second element-removing punch 15b of lengthcorresponding to that of the short-length needle gap desired to beformed near the top end of said finished lengths of fastener chain.Preferably, also, the punch set includes a transversely arranged cuttingpunch 15c disposed so that the line of its cutting edge coincides with atransverse line traversing the rearward end of the element-removingpunch 15a, and which functions to sever a measured length of fastenerchain provided with element-free portions as aforesaid from thecontinuous chain upon each working stroke of the punch set 15. Toachieve this result, the punch set is positioned with respect to thefeed motion of the con tinuous chain 10 so that when the chain is atrest between each two of its successive feed movements, the line ofseparation between the most forward drawn-off length of chain and thenext following length of chain is in exact vertical registry with thecutting line or edge of the cutting punch 150. Thus, each working strokeof the punch set effects removal of the fastener elements from ashort-length portion of the chain having length corresponding to that ofthe punch 15a and being located immediately forwardly of the line ofseparation between the most forward and next following drawn-off lengthsof chain; simultaneously therewith it effects removal of the elementsfor a short-length portion having length corresponding to that of therearwardly disposed punch 15!: and being spaced rearwardly from saidline of separation by a distance corresponding to the spacing betweenthe punches 15a, 15b, and finally it severs the most advanced drawn-offlength of chain from the next following drawn-01f length thereof.

Fig. 1 is intended to show the correct position of the chain withrespect to the element-removing punches 15a, 15b, and of course thepunch 150 as well. Hence, the fastener elements 11, 12 intended to beremoved are all properly located in the path of travel of the punch setas insures that the element-removing punches, in partaking of theirworking stroke will effect complete removal of each and all the elementsof the two groups to be removed, rather than only partially cuttingthrough certain of said elements, more particularly the end elements ofeach group, as might occur if the group of elements to be removed arenot properly aligned with said punches. As explained in my aforesaidapplication Serial No. 449,295, this correct positioning is effected bya so-called stretching pin 16 operating in conjunction with a control or10- cating pin assembly generally designated 17 (Fig. 1), the stretchingpin 16 being located forwardly of the punch set and the locating pinassembly being located a fixed distance rearwardly or upstream of saidpunch set. The stretching pin 16 is timed to lower on to the chain inthe interval between each two successive feed movements thereof andprior to the punches 15a, 15b of the punch set striking the chain,thereby to impart a tensioning and limited shifting movement to thatportion of the chain extending beneath the punch set from a rearwardpoint of chain anchorage, as is determined by engagement of the tip orworking end of the locating pin assembly 17 with the chain consequent toits lowering against the chain substantially in unison with thestretching pin. More particularly, a tip or working end of the locatingpin assembly 17 engages and thereupon acts to hold the chain fixed at apoint to the rear of the punch set and the stretching pin 16 pulls thechain from such held point thereof. By properly spacing the locating pinassembly 17 from the rearward edge of the punch set, the fastenerelements intended to be removed can be brought into exact verticalalignment or registry with the punches 15a, 15b as necessary to theirbeing completely rather than partially removed upon said punchespartaking of their working stroke.

As forecast above, a control system to the extent so far described,while functioning satisfactorily to insure complete removal of thefastener elements struck by the elementrernoving punches 15a, 15b, hasbeen found to be lacking in any ability of insuring uniformity in thelength of the measured lengths of fastener chain being produced, withinthe comparatively small tolerances dictated by the required accuratepositioning of the shortlength needle gap a fixed distance from the topend of each said measured length of fastener or zipper chain. Thisunsatisfactory condition stems from the fact that the use of a locatingassembly 17 comprising a single pin having but one tip or working edge(according to my prior application Serial No. 449,295), can result in alength variation in two finished lengths of fastener chain amounting toas much as approximately the full pitch distance between the fastenerelements of the same row, such as the two elements identified by thereference numerals 11, 11a, or 11a, 1112. To explain, let us assume thetwo conditions as follows: (a) The tip or working edge of a singlelocating pin lowering directly into the space between the elements 11and 11a and just to the right or forward side face of the element 11a,and (b) the tip or working edge of the locating pin lowering first on tothe elements 11 near or possibly to the right (forward side) of itstransverse center line. When the stretching pin 16 lowers undercondition (a), the chain is shifted only the relatively minute amountrequired to abut the element 11a with the tip of the locating pin.However, under condition (12), lowering of the stretching pin 16 resultsin shifting movement of the chain 10 by an amount such as to first movefastener element 11 out from under the locating pin tip, followed by afurther amount of chain movement required to abut element 11a with saidtip, making a total of approximately the full pitch distance betweenelements 11 and 11a. This difference in shifting movement of the chainunder the action 'of the stretching pin 16 thus can result not only in acorresponding unwanted variation in the length of the individualfastener chains being produced, but also in a corresponding error in thespacing of the needle gap from the top end of the chain.

To overcome this obvious disadvantage to the prior control, the presentinvention provides that the locating pin assembly 17 comprise at leasttwo pin members designated 19, 20 rather than the single locating pin asheretofore, and more particularly that said pin members are spaced fromone another in the direction of chain length by an amount equalling thespace between any two of the fastener elements of the same row thereof,such as the fastener elements designated 11a, 11b. Similarly to thelocating pin of my aforesaid application, the aforesaid locating pins19, 20 are mounted to reciprocate toward and away from the chain andpreferably are guided to have sliding bearing in the same supportingblock' or member in which the element-removing punches a, 15b andthe-cutting punch 150 have bearing. Illus- .tratively, movement of saidpins 19, toward the chain is effected by springs 24, reactive betweenthe upper ends of said pins and a fixed block 26, and retractingmovement of said pins away from the chain is effected by means of a rod27 guided in a bracket 28 extending from said supporting block, thelower transverse end 270 of the rod extending under offset arms 19m,26m, respectively, projecting from the locating pins 19, 20, and theupper end 27-b of the rod being formed as a cam follower engaging theperiphery of a plate cam 2? which is constantly driven as by a poweredshaft 30. While mounted to lower and retract in unison, the aforesaidlocating pins 19, 20 may move relatively to one another, since they havein effect a lost motion connection with their actuating rod 27.

The aforesaid stretching pin 16 is similarly urged toward the chain asby a spring held in compression between a fixed block or part 36 and anoffset arm 16m extending integrally from said pin as shown, and it ispositively retracted from the chain by means of a plate cam 39 to whoseperiphery the upper or follower end 161; of the pin is held by theaforesaid spring 35. The cam 39 is fast on a shaft 40 driven at the samespeed as the aforesaid cam shaft 29 as by driving means common to bothsaid shafts, and it operates to effect lowering of the stretching pinsubstantially in unison with lowering of the locating pins 19, 20.

Preferably and as seen in Fig. 2, the tip ends of the locating pins 19,20 are sufficiently wide that they extend over both the fastenerstringers and they are each provided with two laterally spaced andlongitudinally offset working edges, one for one stringer and the otherfor the other stringer. Considering the aforesaid longitudinal pinspacing, there results an arrangementaccording to-which the locatingpins '19, 20 have a set of working edges 19a, 20a effective on thestringer to one side of the longitudinal center line of the fastenerchain It), and a longitudinally offset but corresponding set of workingedges 1%, 20b effective on the stringer to the other side of saidlongitudinal center line, with the edges 1%, 20a and 19b, 20b beingspaced from one another a distance approximately equalling the spacingbetween any two fastener elements of the same stringer, and thelongitudinal offsetting of the working edges of the same locating pinapproximately equalling one-half the pitch distance of the fastenerelements of the same chain.

The operation of the control means of the invention will be firstdescribed as if the locating pins 19, 20 were provided with but the twoworking edges 19a, 20a disposed to operate on one stringer only. Byvirtue of the spacing of said working edges, lowering of the locatingpins results in at least one working edge entering the space between twoof the fastener elements of the same stringer which are then disposedbelow the pins. For example and referring to Fig. 3, although workingedge 20a may lower onto the fastener element 11a as shown, working edge19a is positioned to directly enter the space between the fastenerelements 11, 11a. Upon the stretching pin now lowering onto the chain asin Fig. 1, the latter is thereby shifted forwardly as heretofore, butonly by the very small amount as results in the right or forward sideface of the fastener element 110 abutting said working edge 19a. Such isof course in sharp contrast to the substantially greater distance thatthe chain might be shifted to the right by the stretching pin 16 if buta single locating pin 19 or 26 were employed, because in such a case,the locating pin could lower onto an element, for example the elementlid, with lowering of the stretching pin 16 then resulting in forwardtensioning and shifting of the chain until the next following element11b abuts the working edge thereof. While the single locating pin mightalso enter the space between two elements such as those designated 11a,11b at a point thereof quite close to the following element 11 h, thepossibility of the other condition taking place also of course meansthat the lengths of the fastener chains produced, when using the singlelocating pin, could vary as much as approximately the full pitchdistance of the fastener elements of the chain. On the other hand, thenet result of the use of two locating pins 19, 20 whose working edges19a, 20:: are spaced as aforesaid is to reduce by about one-half themaximum possible variation in the length of the fastener chain beingproduced.

With the locating pins 19, 20 extending over both the chain stringersand having longitudinally offset working edges 19b, 20b, in addition toand being spaced or offset rearwardly of said edges 19a, 20a, thedesirable result of both stringers being always displaced or shifted anequal amount is achieved. This will be understood by an analysis of Fig.4, wherein assumed lines of contact made by the two sets of workingedges 19a, 20a and 19b, 20b are indicated by the designations 19x, 20x,and 19y, 20y, with the "x designations applying to the one stringercarrying the fastener elements 11, 11a, 11b and so on, and the ydesignations applying to the other stringer which carries the oppositelydisposed fastener elements designated 12, 12a and so On. From this view,it will be seen that although the working edges 20a, 20b of the pin 20lower on the corresponding, oppositely disposed fastener elements 11aand 12a, as indicated by contact lines 20x, 20y, the working edges 19a,19b of the pin 19 enter the spaces between the corresponding, oppositelydisposed elements 11, 12 and 11a, 12a, respectively, such beingindicatedby edge or contact lines 19x, 19y. Accordingly, lowering of thestretching pin 16 (which is common to'both stringers) shifts both thestringers to the right the identical amount as brings fastener element11a into abutting rela'tion with working edge 19a and as alsobringsfastener element 12a into abutting relation with working edge 19b.Thus, equal displacement of the chain stringers and a correspondinglytrue and accurate location of the opposite'fastener elements thereof isobtained in simple yet effective manner.

Although two sets 'of locating pin working edges have been illustratedand described, it is of course within the scope and purview of theinvention to employ two locating pins 19, 20 together having a total oftwo working edges disposed as are either the edges 19a, 20a, or are theedges 1%, 20b, i. e., disposed to operate on one and the same stringer.Alternatively, the locating pins 19, 20 may be provided with but twoedges which are located as the edges 19a, 20b, or as the edges 19b, 20a.By all such alternative arrangements, the principal aim of theinvention, namely, that of substantially reducing the maximum possiblevariation in the length of the fastener chain being produced can beattained, but such alternate arrangements do not provide the advantageof identical displacement of both stringers made possible by locatingpins arranged as in Figs. 2 and 3, for example.

Without further analysis, it will be seen that the invention providescontrol means for apparatus used in producing measured lengths of slidefastener chain characterized as aforesaid which satisfies the objectivesof the invention outlined in the opening portion of this specification.However, as many changes could be made in carrying out the aboveconstructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it isintended that all matter contained in the above description or shown inthe accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not ina limiting sense.

I claim:

1. Control means for insuring substantial uniformity in the length ofeach of a succession of measured zipper lengths of fastener chain beingproduced from continuous fastener chain feeding with a step-by-stepmotion along a predetermined path of movement comprising, incombination, fastener-chain severing means disposed along said path,locating-pin means disposed a small fixed distance rearwardly and astretching pin located generally forwardly of said severing means, saidlocating-pin means and said stretching pin being mounted for loweringand retracting movement on to and away from the chain, means operativelyrelated'to each for lowering said locating-pin means and said stretchingpin on to the chain during the intervals that said chain is at restwhereby said locating pin means is adapted to establish a point of chainanchorage disposed rearwardly of said severing means and said stretchingpin is adapted to impart a controlled pull on the portion of the chainextending to the locating-pin means as tends to shift said chain portionforwardly, said locating-pin means comprising a pair of parallel pinmembers and means mounting said pin members for movement toward thechain in unison and for movement relative to one another upon engagingthe chain, said pin members each having chain-engaging working edgeswhich are spaced from one another in the direction of chain length adistance substantially equal to the spacing between any two adjacentfastener elements of the same one of the two rows thereof making up thefastener chain whereby, as said pin members move on to the chain, atleast one of said working edges is adapted to lower'into the spacebetween the two adjacent fastener elements of the same row thereof thenin approximate registry with said pin members and there upon to engagethe side edge of the rearward one of said two adjacent fastenerelements, thus to limit the amount that the said chain portion extendingto the stretching pin can shift forwardly under the pull exercised onsaid chain portion by said stretching pin.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the locating pinmembers each having width such that it extends over both stringersmaking up the fastener chain and are each provided with at least oneworking edge for engagement with but a single stringer.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein each locating-pinmember is provided with two working edges which are spaced from oneanother in lateral direction an amount such that they extend,respectively, over the stringers making up the chain and are moreoveroifset longitudinally from one another the distance of approximatelyhalf the pitch distance of the fastener elements of the chain, thecorresponding working edges of the locating pins being spaced from oneanother a distance which substantially equals the spacing between twoadjacent fastener elements of the same row thereof as aforesaid.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein one locating-pinmember has a working edge disposed over one stringer and the otherlocating-pin member has a working edge which is disposed over the otherstringer making up said fastener chain, said working edges being spacedfrom one another in the direction of length of the fastener chain adistance such that they are adapted to coact with two corresponding,oppositely disposed fastener elements of the stringers.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS734,215 Bilgram July 21, 1903 1,098,399 Pollock June 2, 1914 1,859,962Ferenci May 24, 1932 1,880,111 Shmyroff et al. Sept. 27, 1932 2,219,650Helsel Oct. 29, 1940 2,370,380 Ulrich Feb. 27, 1945 2,385,836 Norkin eta1 Oct. 2, 1945 2,512,216 Salfisberg June 20, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS512,596 Great Britain Sept. 20, 1939 144,964 Australia Feb. 5, 1952

